Course Summary

Oxcarbazepine is an anticonvulsant that has a labeled use as a monotherapy or adjunctive treatment for patients who suffer from focal seizures. Oxcarbazepine has also been used off-label to treat trigeminal neuralgia and other types of neuropathic pain, as well as mania associated with bipolar disorder. As an analog of carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine rapidly and almost completely converts to enantiomers with equal biologic activity and retains the efficacy of carbamazepine. Oxcarbazepine has been reported to have more favorable metabolic and pharmacokinetic tolerability, and a better safety profile than carbamazepine. However, at higher doses there can be poor tolerability of oxcarbazepine, specifically in the immediate- release form. The following sections discuss the basic pharmacological profile of oxcarbazepine, common uses, complications, and a brief overview of oxcarbazepine overdose. A clinical case study is also presented with a focus on differential diagnosis of focal seizure activity and treatment.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
• Pharmacological Profile and Uses
  • Labeled Uses, Available Forms and Dosing
  • Dosing Adjustment: Geriatric, Renal and Hepatic Impairment
• Common Uses of Oxcarbazepine: Focal Seizures, Neuropathic Pain, and Bipolar Disorder
  • Focal Seizures
  • Neuropathic Pain
  • Bipolar Disorder
• Drug Warnings, Adverse Effects, and Contraindications
  • Central Nervous System
  • Osteoporosis
  • Metabolic Syndrome and Weight Gain
  • Hyponatremia
  • Dermatologic
  • Hematologic
  • Hypersensitivity Reactions
  • Psychiatric
  • Withdrawal
  • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
  • Drug Interactions and Other Considerations
• Drug Withdrawal, Interaction and Overdose    
• Case Study: Differential Diagnosis of Carbamazepine Side Effects in an Infant with Seizures
  • Differential Diagnosis: Adverse Drug Reaction and Relevance to Clinical Practice
• Summary

Author

Kellie Wilson, PharmD

Kellie Wilson is a Doctor of Pharmacy practicing in Anaconda, Montana, where she lives with her husband and four children. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula where she graduated in 2009 with a doctorate in pharmacy. She later worked in Boise, Idaho for a large, retail pharmacy for 2 years, and then returned home to Montana to oversee an independently owned retail and long-term care pharmacy in Anaconda. As an independent retail pharmacist she has become very involved in psychiatric pharmacy for two major behavioral health organizations that are located around all of Montana. Kellie’s passion is retail pharmacy because she enjoys the interactions with customers as well as the challenges and rewards of staying current with the continuous changes in the pharmacy field.